Walls Within This Soul
by Last Crow WithStanding
Summary: Soul wondered how somehow so aware of souls could be so dense when it came to her own emotions.


Maka put her white gloves on slowly and deliberately as she always did, but it lacked the dramatic flair and determination that it had a year ago. She smiled to herself in front of the door to her shared apartment, eying herself in the mirror as she double checked her outfit before making sure she had her keys.

Before putting on those gloves met something, meant everything in their own metaphorical way. They were pulled on with the knowledge that she was striving to complete her dreams.

She listened to the faint snores of her partner in his room with that same smile, before she forced herself out of the apartment.

They'd done it, proven to the world that they were a force to be considered unstoppable. Along the way she had discovered she was more than she ever thought – both meister and weapon. Duality embodied.

But times were not so peaceful. She thought with darkened spirits to the conversation she, Soul and Stein had two days ago. A conversation that had reset the pace and plan for the next couple months to a year, at least.

Kid was the captain now.

His father dead and gone left him and everyone in a very dangerous position. He wasn't ready and what Stein had revealed to them of the state of the world had drastically changed everything.

Maka had to get stronger now.

But it wasn't the same; it wasn't because before she had craved, needed to prove she could be great. Now she needed to become stronger than even she thought originally possible.

The morning air was crisp and burnt her face. She had woken early, her eyes boring into the ceiling as she realized that she didn't need to wait up for Soul.

Stein had said 'come by, in the morning.'

-

The door shutting caused Soul, lying haphazardly on his bed, his blankets tangled up around him. He blinked twice, then realized with the quiet in the house and the cold, distant feeling in his chest that Maka had gone to her private lesson.

He didn't have anything important to do today and he wanted to sleep, but a nagging feeling in the back of his head, perhaps knowing how serious Maka was taking the current events forced him out of bed more easily then he would like to admit.

"Old geezer of a Shinigami just had to croak, didn't he?" he growled with major bed head as he pulled himself out of the bed. Sitting up in his room, alone, he knew that the bitter, angry statement he spat out was just venting. He had the utmost respect for what the former Lord had done, knowing things would be just as bad as the oncoming storm that was coming there way.

Soul marched to the bathroom like a zombie. When he entered, he was greeted by warm air and the scent of Maka's product. His heart cringed and as he caught himself, dark circles under red eyes and a more sour look then usual on his face, his mind wandered back to conversation that had changed everything.

"We need you two to be as powerful as you can possibly be." They stood in Death's old office, now belonging to Death the Kid. Death the Kid hadn't yet taken to reorganizing it, a sure sign to his weapons and all that knew him well that he was still suffering from his father's passing.

Stein was doing the speaking for a Kid that looked too overwhelmed to truly be able to perform to the expectations now placed upon his shoulders.

"There isn't any easy way to say this…But there are other things besides Angels of Death, Witches and kishin in this world." Stein cocked a dangerous grin, screwing his screw in a little bit more. "The former Shinigami was able to keep a lot of dangerous things out of our lives just by being… With his passing…"

"I am not yet an adequate guardian for us, nor a powerful enough deterrent." Kid finished. "There are a few beings that are eying my father's death as an opportunity."

Soul and Maka shared a strange feeling. Both would do whatever they could to help… But why were they being talked to separately? Why wasn't Liz and Patti, Tsubaski and Black*Star here as well?

Maka nodded and Soul eyed her with one eye closed. So Maka would speak for them, for now. "We will do whatever you need. Soul and I need to get stronger."

"Soul, I need you to start training with me and also on your own, as soon as possible." Kid stated flatly. "As a death weapon, you need to be able to fight on your own but also be a compatible partner to me, as well."

Neither Soul nor Maka made any indication on their faces that the statement affected them. They both always knew, of course, that their partnership in the form that it was in now wouldn't stay the same forever. However, a twinge, like a violin cord plucked improperly, was felt between them. The empathy and connection between them was very strong, in and out of battle. They had become more dependent on it then either of them would admit openly.

"Maka." Stein spoke to her in that way that he always did. Like she was just another fondly, but sadistically cared for experiment. "Normally the meister would work occasionally with their weapon, or seek another weapon… but we are in a unique position with you." Stein was grinning with restrained madness, the kind that was just acceptable for the patchwork man to have.

Maka shifted uncomfortable and Soul unconsciously stepped an inch closer to her and in front of her. "You're not going to do any weird experiments on her, that's creepy and definitely borderline molestation."

Maka bit her lip, blushing a bit at Soul's protectiveness. "I understand. I'm also a weapon."

"We think it would be the best to have you fully trained in all of your abilities, Maka. You are too much of an asset." Kid spoke up again, trying his best to balance out Stein's… Steinlyness.

"So you're going to have someone wield her?" Soul blurted out and felt vaguely embarrassed. It bothered him way more than it should but the idea of someone swinging her around wasn't pleasant.

"I would prefer not to be wielded." Maka stated firmly and Soul felt a rush of relief that he didn't show physically.

"That is more than fine, Maka. If you are able to prove strong enough with your own wave length, then you are more than welcome to fight on your own."

-

The steam filled the small bathroom quickly as hot water rushed down Soul's sore body. He hadn't fought or trained in a week or two, so he knew the soreness was from the emotional turmoil he felt inside.

They had been ordered to stop their partnership, for now, so both could learn to fight independently. The two days had already been hard on him. He knew it was hard on Maka too, but he was afraid of what would happen to their overall relationship.

Maka had the weight of every mistake her father made on her shoulders. She hated him, loathed what he had done to her mother but also hated her mother for being so weak. She kept people at a polite distance- Maka appeared to be outgoing, polite and considerate and to all those outside of her walls would never question those personality traits.

But her internal world was one littered with trust issues and seething rage. Maka had hated how physically weak she was. She had felt resentment towards him when they had first started out. He had felt it when they attempted to resonate and it had been one of the key things holding them back – he was detested by her, by her needing him to fight.

He had always been in a weird position with her. For all his talk of being a cool guy he knew that he wasn't – he was a guy attractive to weird girls who fantasized about his teeth and creepiness. 'Hot Girls' as he so labeled them in more immature moments didn't care for him, he knew this. It was a cover, a front.

So as he began to feel more than his duty to the girl with the pigtails and the elegant handling of, well, him, he knew that he had to keep his feelings locked away.

He knew how she felt about men.

When he had taken that sword slash for him her view of him changed. It began a chain of events that had led them to one of the tightest and strongest soul resonances.

He knew that she loved him because it rippled between them. But the saddest thing was in her internal world, a castle of walls that kept her safe from her own feelings; she didn't know that she loved him.

Soul was afraid if she learned to only depend on herself, her fear of commitment would drive her far, far away from him and into the bad ending he didn't feel either of them deserved.

-

Stein had advised Maka to meet him in the lecture hall. She entered the classroom with the checkerboard floor to see him staring out of the window.

Maka eyed his soul and felt that strange feeling that had been rippling between them. Stein was a master of soul wavelength and she knew from private lessons with him that he excelled at hiding things from others who could see.

But Maka could see something, a weird feeling he was experiencing and she didn't like what she thought it was, when she saw it in brief moments. In those moments where she came to a conclusion way too quickly for someone so young, when she observed something in someone's soul that was insightful, when she showed a detached maturity that Stein liked to see in weapon wielders.

"Maka," he turned to look at her as he descended the stairs. "Tell me, how have your soul perception abilities been lately?"

She wasn't quite sure how to take the question, but she stopped and stood straight. "I believe I am growing in my skills."

"What does your soul look like, Maka?" the question was loaded and it shot right through her, she struggled to remain composed as she tried to come up with an answer that wasn't as lame as the truth.

"I don't know."

"Do you see the files on my desk?"

Maka looked over her shoulder and saw a thick file folder marked S.S.K. with Stein's sloppy but furious hand writing. Maka looked back to him, his soul crackling with a mixture of sick excitement and… pride?

"I would like you to read them, they are my experiment logs."

Maka eyed Stein suspiciously before closing the distance between the desk and her and reading the files. The date didn't mean anything until she read the title. Her eyes widened… These were the files detailing the experiments that Stein had did on her father.

It was like a train wreck as she read the objective of the experiments. She didn't want to keep reading but the full on insanity, the… blasphemy to any sense of a god, of nature or any force of morality… Maka couldn't believe that they logs detailed what they did and for that matter, they were possible.

"That's… that's not possible."

"I have already sampled your DNA, Maka… and yes, the experiments I did on your father were a success."

"This is science fiction…"

"My objective was to create the most powerful meister imaginable… Your mother was a very powerful meister, but she had limitations that needed more than just Spirit's DNA to overcome."

"So you added your own? What does that mean? That I'm half my mother, a quarter Papa and quarter you?" the shock Maka felt overran any sense of anger for now. She also didn't really believe what she was reading… Stein didn't mind playing a prank here or there.

"Your father has known for awhile. Your mother, well, she has been off seeing the world for way too long to even know."

Maka clenched her fists and felt the anger storm into her like a hurricane. "You're disgusting, Stein."

Stein grinned, his glasses flashing as he stared down at her. "What does that make you, then?"

"Nothing. You're lying and you'd better admit to it soon because I'm getting mad. You're wasting my time."

"I only wanted to equip you with the truth. You are not just Spirit's daughter, although I would never claim to be anything more than a DNA donator."

Maka shouted with rage as her arm shifted into a scythe blade. She charged forward and Stein's glasses flashed again, the grin fading into a more serious look. Her blade curved away, her running stance was still like she as holding a weapon, not like she was one.

She leapt into the air and screamed again, using rage to throw her wavelength forward. Stein changed his wavelength with practiced mastery, matching hers and canceling it out.

She flew backwards, flipped and landed while skidding backwards. Stein was rushing her before she fully had a chance to think about what was happening – she threw her other arm up and turned into a blade as well. Wavelength met wavelength and Stein set her backwards again, into a row of seats.

"Now, Maka, what does your soul look like?" he called causally from the middle of the room.

-

Soul felt emptiness at the core of him as he strolled into the kitchen, shirtless as Blair strolled in as a cat, rubbing herself against his legs in greeting. Normally even if they were separated there was always a room in his soul for Maka but that room was vacant and it was wearing on him.

Maka had her father but Soul had no one that cared for him like that, only Maka. Did he really want to share those deep, ugly parts of him with Death the Kid?

He had a sinking feeling that Death would try and make it symmetrical.

"Nyaooooooo," Blair cried out at that god awful pitch cats made when they wanted you to question why you even decided to live with a cat. "What Souly boy thinking about?"

"I'm in a crappy mood Blair." Soul grumbled out, rubbing his face to try and break him out of his deeply depressing thoughts. "Please don't."

In a puff of smoke, Blair was sitting on the table completely naked. Soul's nose bled a drop, but he glared at her hotly and threw his jacket, which was against the kitchen table (against Maka's wishes) onto her body. "I really don't need to look at that right now, thanks."

"Oooooh, someone is really in a bad mood." Blair tilted her head and tried to look cute, but could only blink twice when Soul scowled and walked into the living room.

-

Stein had Maka by her shirt collar, beaten and bruised with eyes half lidded. Rage had faded as she wondered how she could be this far behind Stein's skill. How much of her strength came from Soul? Her arms had returned to normal and she didn't really have the strength to turn them back.

"Can you answer my question yet, Maka?"

Maka's exhausted mind thought back to how Stein's powers worked… He was able to match wavelengths and overcome, then hit them with a frequency they couldn't possible handle.

She smirked as she panted but her wavelength rippled. Stein didn't notice it in time, as Maka's wave length expanded and a giant scythe blade launched from her stomach and slashed his arm. Stein's laughter filled classroom as he dropped her. Maka's stomach blade faded as she fell to the ground in a heap, pushing herself up.

Stein gripped his forearm with his good arm and laughed, blood squirting through his knuckles. "Where else can you create a blade?"

Maka hissed, exhausted but still wanting blood for the crazy things Stein had said. She shot blades from her chest, her back and her shoulders. They de-materialized quickly, but not before she tried to charge at him again but fell to her knees.

Maka glared at Stein hotly as he walked over to his desk to prepare to his next class of students. "Is it true?" Maka asked through pants.

"What?" Maka glared at Stein and he laughed. Energy sparked between the two souls in the room, as wordless emotion and information was exchanged between two beings that could see souls.

"Yes, Maka. I implanted my own dna within Spirit so when you were created… The files go into more details then I saw you read. If you are curious on how such a marvel such as yourself-"

"I'm good, Stein. I will deal with this on my own terms."

-

Soul woke from his nap to the door to their apartment opening. He eyed Maka from the couch and tried to fight back the urge to rush to her. She looked like Stein had given her a beating.

"How was it?"

Maka eyed him with a frosty, intense look before she quickly let it fall. He could tell that she hadn't meant to show him such hostility, but her emerald eyes revealed a world of emotion spinning within her.

"Good?"

Soul ignored the cues he was getting from her and tried to lighten the mood. He gave her a sharky grin and nodded his head towards her, asking; "Show me what you can do, eh? Ehhh?"

Soul received a reluctant and sad smile. She lifted her arm and forced it into a blade that curved the same direction that he manifested his. She then turned both arms into a blade, then back into flesh, before she shot a blade from her stomach, then her chest. Both faded and she fell forward, almost falling but catching herself against the wall.

"Maka!" Soul pulled himself over the couch and rushed to her. Her reached to stabilize her and she allowed it until she got steady, before pushing against him.

"Soul, I need to do this on my own." She pulled away to walk towards her bed room to lie down.

Soul gripped her tightly by the shoulders. "Listen Maka, we can't do this."

She eyed him hotly but he spoke before she could.

"We haven't talked about any of these decisions between the two of us… we've just followed along blindly like dogs. I know you want to get stronger but I don't want you to push yourself too hard… You're always the first person I want to wield me and I want that to be an option." Soul felt lame as the words left him. He wanted to say something more meaningful, he wanted to tell her that knowing she wasn't next to him on the battle field really sucked, knowing that she was alone and had no one to watch her back, thinking terrible thoughts like Stein could be her partner… hell he could be Stein's partner…

He shuddered visibly.

"We need to protect the innocent people that cannot defend themselves. There are not enough of us to be picky about partnerships, Soul. We have to –"

"I know Maka! Duty this, duty that! But FUCK duty for a second, what do YOU want?" Soul hissed, still holding her shoulders. Who would come to her when she was having nightmares that leaked into his mind? Who would ease her fears? Soul was a security blanket and the crazy thing was Soul was more aware of it then Maka was.

"What I want doesn't matter, Soul, com'on I'm really tired can we hash this out later?" Maka complained, her muscles seizing on her. Why did she think it was a good idea to walk home?

"I don't want to be pushed out of your life." Soul grumbled and pulled her into him so he could help support her weight, walking her to her room. Blair was keeping herself removed from the situation. "I'm not just your weapon…"

"I know, Soul."

Soul glared ahead as the short distance to her room felt way too short. How could he explain that he could feel like there was a wall between them? That the feeling towards him were cold, removed? That he needed to feel connected to her in some way, as his only options of Kid or some stranger was a nightmare in the wakening world.

"Soul," Maka steadied herself against Soul and ignored the rush of warmth that his caring actions always brought her. "You will always be… Soul to me. What are you afraid of?"

Her smile didn't calm his fears. For someone with soul perception, her knowledge of her emotions was so skewed. He wanted to say 'I love you, don't go' in every way but the words themselves, but would she understand unless he spelled it out to her? How could he get her to admit it to herself, so the day that his emotions came crashing down and swallowed both of them she wouldn't panic and drown herself in her own insecurities? Her castle walls that kept her safe from the world would flood if the dam that held his feelings back ever burst.

"Movie later?" Maka offered after a stained amount of eye contact. Soul blinked slowly and smiled, reaching out and pulling one of her pigtails. She slapped his arm away and laughed as he agreed, adding if she didn't fall asleep.

Maka woke suddenly to the shower starting. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to figure herself out before memories chased away dreams. Soul was getting ready, she'd fallen asleep and her muscles ached and screamed from being used in ways she hadn't thought possible.

Today was supposed to be a rest day for her, as Stein had advised. The memory of the man brought back what definitely littered her dreamscape the night before – she was a project, an experiment. Not only the product of a failed relationship at least she could boost that she was a successful experiment.

She pushed herself up and felt gross and sticky in her uniform, berating herself mentally for not changing into pj's before crashing onto her bed but she had fully intended to get up and watch a movie after her short rest. Sitting upright in her bedroom as the early morning light seeped into her room; she listened to the sounds of Soul's shower.

Deep within her, locked away, were her mixed emotions she felt about the situation she was currently in, like oil on top of water they didn't mix. The love she felt for Soul was deep, so deep she often craved things that she labeled 'inappropriate' and compartmentalized them away in her mind whenever she thought or felt them. She knew, of course, there was love between them – they had saved the world together and enjoyed a partnership together that rivaled her parent's.

She had devoted herself to the path of independence from a man. So as they grew together and it became very apparent that Soul was a man, she found herself resenting her feelings towards him. The moments when he spoke for her, when his presence made her feel safer, when he threw her a causal, sharp toothed grin. These were forbidden moments that she hated herself for cherishing.

So being separate, she could prove to herself that she didn't need him. She could do it on her own. So when he left her, which she thought would have been soon regardless because he'd started to get attention from woman who wanted to be with the next big thing. That's what he had wanted, to be cool and popular and Maka wasn't part of that world.

She waited until she heard him leave before she got up, grabbed her PJ's and headed to the shower herself.

-

Soul shoved his hands into his pockets as he arrived before Death the Kid at the agreed training grounds. It was a large, open field away from the school because he was sure Death the Kid didn't want anyone to see their struggle. The new students needed to see a confident duo in an unsure world.

Death appeared on his hoverboard from the horizon, Liz and Patti transforming from guns as they landed. Kid grabbed his hoverboard as it kicked up, holding it behind him slightly. "Soul."

"Death." Soul greeted formally and he noticed the slight flinch. So much to get used to, so fast. Liz gave Kid a comforting squeeze on the shoulder before strolling a bit to the side, Patti waving excitedly to Soul as she followed her sister. Soul crossed the distance to Kid, trying his best to grin in a comforting way.

"You ready?" Soul grimaced a bit, trying to figure out how he was going to fit with Kid's wavelength.

"Let's do this, Soul."

Soul transformed in a flash of white light, the gold of his new form shining brightly in the morning light. Kid caught him, a burning sensation ripping through him. They attempted to close the gaps within each other.

Soul knew his wavelength slightly from group resonance, but trying to match him now was difficult but not all that different. It reminded him slightly of Maka's. Kid was a powerful, polished soul that felt like straight lines that suddenly exploded into jagged, sharp and chaotic lines. These chaotic lines Soul felt and liked but he could feel the torment that it caused Kid himself.

"Your wavelength is so… lack luster." Kid commented dryly. The eye of Soul's weapon form narrowed in annoyance as he was about to scream some sort of come back, but Maka's mental image flashed in his mind's eye. He thought about making this not work so he could be with her quicker but that felt like he was stabbing her in the back.

"I'm like tea or coffee, I take getting used to." He commented back, releasing the anger that had welled up. Kid judged others to try and elevate the constant self criticism he felt for not being his father. Nothing Kid judged other for could compare to the utter mental torment Kid put himself through. Soul focused himself on riding Kid's wavelength and suddenly what felt like an inconsistent pattern of chaos began to have some sense of reason.

Kid swung him up into the air, trying to adjust to a completely different weapon than he was used to. Patti and Liz cheered from the side lines.

"Should we get you used to feeling more of my wavelength?"

"Ha! No, you need to practice wielding." Soul replied as his image appeared on the blade. "Practice step, swipe, step, swipe."

-

Maka sat on the couch with the TV off and the lights on. A cup of tea cooled untouched on the table as she rested her chin in her hands, elbows rested on her knees. She craved talking to someone about what had happened to her but she didn't think anyone she knew would be appropriate.

She sighed heavily and fell back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. One thought in particular continued to circle in her mind – should she make herself a Death Weapon?

They were unsure of how they could continue to make Death Weapons while following the treaty. There were other things that went bump in the night and now more than ever they needed the support of powerful weapons.

If she became a Death Weapon… With her skill set she would be an excellent asset to the team. Would Kid wield her? She found herself blushing and cursing her mind for where it found itself strolling. She needed to avoid this intimacy, being someone's partner. If she could do it alone it would be better for everyone.

-

Soul opened the apartment to find Maka passed out on the couch with her PJ shirt riding up. He looked at her, sleeping peacefully as he approached in a manner as not to wake her. He eyed the flesh that her ridden up shirt revealed to him and lust welled up within him. He wanted to bite and lick her flesh and do things to her she was probably too innocent to think about.

He wondered briefly if he was over reacting about the situation. He would still see her every day. Although she did seem like she was off when she came home last night he figured it was from spending her first extended time as a weapon, not a meister.

Yes, things should be fine, he decided. He had just been overreacting.

He went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Changing into gray sweat pants, he carried his towel over a shirtless shoulder. When he strolled past the couch, she was just opening her eyes groggily.

"Hey Maka, I think you owe me a movie." He grinned at her and she quickly adjusted to sitting posture, hiding her face briefly by looking at the floor of their apartment. It wasn't quick enough to hide a blush and a bit of her lip. She would never say it verbally but he knew with what she tried to hide from him that she found him very attractive. That and what emotions escaped to him when they resonated.

"Yeah, what do you wanna watch?" She yawned and stretched, edging a bit away as Soul plopped down on the couch. She brought her legs into her, making herself seem small. "How was your training with Kid?" Soul threw his towel in front of the kitchen, making a wet plop before turning to his ex-partner again.

Soul eyed her, there was still something off that he didn't like but he decided to chalk it his imagination. He held her stare for a silent moment before he snapped out of it and grabbed the remote. She hadn't said anything about the towel he had thrown so he knew she must either be out of it still or groggy. "You know? Not bad…. He only broke down after 20 minutes screaming that my wavelength was 'improper, awful and lackluster' as I busted my ass off trying to handle a wavelength that went to calm to full out broken down shit storm without any warning."

Maka nodded and smiled softly. "You two will get it."

He picked a random action flick with explosions and leaned against the back of the couch. "Maakkkaaa~" he sang in a sing song as he stretched out, reaching out and touching her knee with his hand. "That can't be comfortable. Relax, you know I don't bite…" he trailed off, grinning in a way to show his sharp teeth. "Unless you asked, then I'd bite you wherever you wanted and how hard you wanted."

Maka growled, turning her head away as she let her legs stretch out, bunny socked feet touching his lap. He had started doing that more often, instead of mocking her physical appearance making comments that were lewd and directed towards her. Her eyes grew wide as he grabbed her feet and placed them on his lap.

"You're sore, you gotta be, from changing parts of you into a weapon, eh?" his eyes were serious, filled with emotions that Maka couldn't read at all, not that she was that great at empathy.

"Yeah, my whole body hurts. Back at 'er tomorrow though."

Soul opened his mouth to say something when a loud "meow" caught both of their attention. Blair came out with a large tray with a teapot and cups. "I made tea for the two of you-" her feet touched the wet towel that Soul had throw early, causing her to slip forward and the tray and tea pot to go flying towards the two of them.

Maka hadn't even fully processed the events that were unfolding but Soul had already moved. Her feet slid off of his lap as he leapt up, using his body to cover hers and grabbing her with one arm. He pulled her to him, bracing himself around her with the other.

He screamed loudly and away from her as the pot broken against him, boiling hot tea burning his back. "BLAIR I'M GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE!" he shouted so loud that the whole complex probably heard him.

"BLAIR TRY AND DO GOOD THING~" she shouted back, transforming into a cat and skittering off.

Soul's body heaved with anger as he cradled Maka against his chest. He reluctantly released her and ignored her bright red face, knowing she would hate it if he brought it up. He was trying to bring her closer, not do things that would make her self conscious.

"Are you okay?" she stammered out, biting her lip and looking away, "Its your fault that you left the towel there, anyway." . He smiled and turned his back so she could see it. A few cuts and a large red burn mark, but nothing serious considering he was a death weapon. He didn't need to ask her to confirm that he was, she just did.

"That cat," he complained with a slight smirk, anger gone. He was a little bit pathetic, he knew that just being able to hold her close without a shirt on was enough to unsettle his emotions. "I don't even know how she lives with us."

"Me neither." Maka laughed lightly. Maka got up and gathered a cardboard box and began putting the glass into it. After she was done she picked up the towel Soul had discarded. She convinced herself not to throw it in his face because then he would probably discard it to the floor and knowing their luck similar events would repeat themselves. So she went to the bathroom, placed it in the dirty hamper like an adult (read; Soul) should have then returned to the couch. They both fell into a comfortable silence, watching the action flick and sitting next to each other comfortably.

"Maka! You don't go to your opponent." Stein growled out after hitting her away easily. She landed in a crouched position, stray hairs falling out of her pigtails. "That's not how you will gain the upper hand." He grinned as his soul sparked around him.

Maka's chest heaved as she forced herself into a standing position. Memories from yesterday attempted to invade her mind. Soul had to protect her from boiling-fucking-water. Her temper flared. She didn't need him. She needed to get rid of her dependency on him or else she would never be able to be the asset, be the weapon and meister she needed to be for everyone.

"What do I do then, professor?' she spat out mucus from her burning lungs in one of the most unlady like actions she'd ever done. Stein's grin grew, threatening to tare his face apart.

"You sit, you watch. You have to calibrate to their wavelength and at the last second hit them with the frequency that will ruin their day!" he shouted at her, gaining speed as he charged towards her. He brought his hands to the side of his waist as he charged a wave length ball of energy.

She watched it, felt it. She decided to try and match it as shot it towards her. It hit her and stunned her for a moment before she was able to neutralize it by matching it. Stein didn't give her time to feel pride as he came at her with a haymaker. She ducked, shooting a blade from her back as her father would. He side stepped and dodged, bringing his hand down to smash her on the back of her head.

She kicked her legs back and dropped onto her hands, the blade from her back dissipating as her feet turned into blades. She spun her feet as she spun on her hands, Stein ducking back and barely moving in time as the blades whizzed by his chin. He regained his center and kicked her arm out, her face almost smashing into the ground but she saved herself by turning it into a front roll.

He was at her again, relentless like the predator that no one doubted he was. He launched another wave length attack and she side stepped him, this time turning her foot into a blade as she kicked upwards. She managed to nick his jacket, ripping it off of him as he jumped backwards.

"Very impressive, Maka." Stein commented, that grin never leaving as sweat glistened his his forehead. "You seem able to make blades appear all over your body. A useful talent." Maka could just tell he was going to update his notes about her eagerly as soon as she left.

"I just think about how angry everything you've done makes me." She spat, panting. It was half true, her rage against what she had done to her Pappa and what that meant for her fueled her. But her own demons, her own fears, shadows of her internal world pushed her to become stronger.

Stein threw his head back and laughed so hard it filled the classroom that they used to practice in. He grew serious then spoke again. "Have you turned into a full weapon, yet?"

"I've barely got the hang of this." Maka growled, before adjusting her posture. Aggression and anger were good for certain times, but Stein was still her professor and despite her mixture of screwed up feelings for the man she should be respectful. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

Stein gave her a thoughtful look. He was about to speak but she beat him to it.

"As soon as we discover a new way to make death weapons… I would think it wise to make me one."

Stein studied her carefully, adjusting his screw. He hadn't thought she would do something like that, but he recognized someone who had become power hungry when they were right before him.

"I don't care who wields me to make it happen." Maka added without any traces of emotion.

"Even if it were me?" Stein took steps towards her, doing everything he could in his wavelength to make her uncomfortable. Maka was not one to seek power for power's sake – status, good grades and recognition, but never power.

Maka adjusted herself a bit, but her eyes never wavered. "Kid is going to need whatever help he can to keep the balance between worlds. I will lay down my life again and again, to keep this world safe."

=======

Soul was lazing on the couch when Maka came home from training again. She was quiet and off and once again he found himself craving a private view into her internal world. Her shoulders were tensed, her eyes angry in a distant way enough though he hadn't done anything to bother her. It had to be Stein, whatever screwed up things he was doing to her to make her stronger.

His mind flashed to when he'd practically molested them for an extra credit class and righteous, protective anger like hot white liquid rushed through him. "You okay, Maka?" he asked, leaning over the couch.

"I'm fine." She replied back, taking her shoes off in a way that screamed 'I'm not fine.'

"Yes, because 'I'm fine' is what people say when they're just dandy."

"Soul! I am not your responsibility." She snapped at him and they both did a double take. She hadn't met to let her frustrations out at him. "I'm sorry Soul. I'm just weak and… never mind."

Soul studied her before vaulting over the couch. He was dressed in a loose shirt and the same grey sweat pants from yesterday. She stared him down like a caged tiger, daring him to move forward. He hesitated, but the feeling she was trying to slowly push him out of her life wouldn't subside.

"I'm not your enemy, Maka. Last I checked, we saved the world together."

"And now we have to be strong enough to do it on our own." She replied back, trying to bite back her anger. Soul wasn't the cause of it and it was completely unfair of her to lash out at him. He wasn't all men. "I'm sorry Soul, I'm just going through some stuff."

"Me too. You think I like being thrown around by Kid?"

"Yeah… I just found some stuff out."

Soul saw he eyes become clouded and he knew that it was more serious than she wanted to say. "Maka, you can tell me."

"No, I can't." she hit him with frosty eyes, doing whatever she could to push him away. "I need to be strong, without you."

She tried to walk past him but he grabbed her by the shoulders. "No. We all need each other. Stop this, stop it."

She hit his arm away by turning his into a scythe, hitting him with the back of it. "No. I'm going to stand on my own. I'm not just going to watch you leave me in the dust."

Soul's temper flared. He had suspected it but now he fully realized he needed to break her out of her bullshit complexes manually. His soul roared to life as he pulled her into his chest, her blade cutting his shoulder as he squeezed her tight. She fought against him as he forced a resonance, his soul reached out and surrounding her from every side.

Maka's vision went white.

-

Maka knew exactly where she was.

She had dreamed of this place before – the dance hall of a giant castle, but the room was void of any light besides candles. White, gold and silver were the colors of the room – checkerboard gold and white floors, silver pillars and golden walls.

She thought she was alone until she heard a chuckling voice – following it, she saw a woman that looked like a cross of her mother and Maka herself, wearing a silver dress. The woman was about 6'9 however, a giant with a long and elegant neck.

"Where am I?"

The question hung in the air as the woman chuckled, much like a lioness purring. "Oh Maka dear…" the woman vanished before reappearing beside Maka, causing the young woman to turn and face her. "You're beside yourself."

Maka was silent as the woman elegantly walked circles around her. "This is your internal world."

"Oh." Maka commented to herself, remembering Soul's inner mind room. "Then what are you?"

"The projection of what you wish you could be." The woman replied, staring down at Maka's small form.

"MAKA!" she heard Soul shout from outside the large, golden doors of the ballroom. "MAKA!"

"SOUL!" Maka shouted back, just wanting an explanation of what exactly was happening.

"Oh no, we can't have him in here, can we?" the woman commented with a fake sweetness dripping off of her voice. She waved her hand and chairs tables stacked themselves again the door, barricading them in. "That's the last thing you want."

"I want to get out of here." Maka commented back, confused as to why any of this was happening. She had ended up depths of Soul's mind before, but why was she here, now? What had Soul done? "If Soul can help me, so be it."

"Oh, so now he's good enough?" Maka's projection shot back with bitterness. "Is it doing everything yourself, Maka, or do you need a man to help you?"

-

Soul cursed himself as he found himself in dark, damp castle walls. He knew these walls well – lonely testaments to how much Maka wanted to keep people out. Torches lined the walls but they were spread out at distances that made it difficult to navigate.

But he had to do this – she needed to know that he would always be there for her. She needed to stop pushing him and his love away because she loved him too and he suspected she was becoming aware of it – she, for someone so smart, was just being a scared idiot.

He followed the corridors that he sometimes found himself in, when in their dreams she reached out for him or he reached out for her, trying to go off of memory. There was a ballroom, somewhere, that she would be in.

"MAKA!" he shouted, waiting and hearing nothing."MAKA!"

When he heard the faint sound of her voice, calling his name he charged forward, running as his foot steps and the sound of panting breath were the only thing he heard, echoing across empty hallways.

When he found the entrance to the ballroom, he tried to open it but it burnt his hands. He banged against the large, golden door. "MAKA! MAKA!"

-

Soul's voice carried into the ballroom and Maka turned to run to the door, to clear away the chairs and tables blocking him off when the woman reappeared. "You're shooting yourself in the foot, dear." She pushed Maka backwards with a white gloved hand, causing her to stumble backwards and crash against the checkerboard floor.

The woman towered over her as Soul's screaming voice and pounding fists became the sound track to the woman's speech. "What is it Maka? Don't you want to be safe from how a man will hurt you?"

"Soul won't hurt me…" Maka muttered as if she was just realizing it for the first time herself.

"Oh, but wasn't that what your poor mother thought about Spirit? What Spirit thought about Stein? You're the by-product of hurt, Maka." The woman leaned down, stroking Maka's blonde pig tail in one hand. Maka slapped her hand away, scooting on her butt on the floor backwards to try and make some distance. "Don't you remember how your mother's screams filled the house? Do you want to repeat your mother's mistakes?"

"I… I…" Maka stammered but didn't have a reply.

"MAKA!" She heard Soul crashed against the door, a table falling from the top of the pile and crashing to the ground, breaking. "DON'T LISTEN TO WHATEVER IS TALKING TO YOU IT'S LYING."

"He just doesn't want to lose his ticket." The woman waved her hand in front of her face, as if trying to cool herself down. "You're his ticket to fame."

"But he's got all his fame; he's got every reason to leave me." Maka pushed herself off of the ground, standing up and staring up at the woman. "Soul could leave me at any minute."

"Every reason to get stronger without him."

"MAKA!" Another slam against the golden doors, a few chairs falling off of the large pile.

"And so what if Soul leaves? I've got so many good memories of Soul. If he wants to be with another woman, that's fine. I'd rather him admit that to me then be held down in a relationship he doesn't want. I'll be fine… I'll be fine if he leaves me!"

Maka shouted at the projection of her own internal self. The woman opened her mouth as if she was rightfully insulted as Maka walked past her, ignoring her as she walked to the pile of furniture that was acting as a barricade. The chairs were almost feather light, not being made of reality.

Seeing a version of her say these things made it easier for Maka to see how stupid she was being. She had wrapped herself in her own fears and made herself into a insecurity blanket wrapped up tight like a cocoon. How long had Soul been putting up with being on the outside?

"NO! You will have nothing if he leaves!"

"Then why am I pushing him away?" Maka commented as she continued to push chairs and tables away. "Whatever happens, my actions are not making sense… Soul must be so confused." She commented more to herself than the woman that represented a less than desirable part of her.

Soul shoulder checked the door again, causing it to open enough for him to see inside. He pushed against it harder, causing the light of the ballroom to light up the dark corridors he had found himself in. Chairs and tables fell towards him and he didn't bother to question them as he began pushing himself through.

"Maka!" Soul shouted, relief flooding through him. She grabbed his out stretched hand as he offered it, pulling him through the barricade. He embraced her like she was a need, crushing him against him. "I'm sorry." He breathed, hot breath against her ear.

She hugged him back tightly, before pushing him away. He relented, for the moment. They stood amongst chairs and tables.

"For what?"

"I shouldn't have forced a resonance, especially when we're supposed to be off limits to each other." The sexual double meaning dripped from his words and he didn't bother to try and cover them up. "I just wanted to understand what you were feeling."

Fake gagging sounds erupted from behind Maka and they both turned to see the projection shoving her finger down her throat. "You're both disgusting. Maka, this crush happens between partners all the time – he will leave you."

Maka was going to reply but Soul squeezed her shoulder. "I know this is what you've been afraid of, Maka. As a friend I will never betray your trust… When people enter into relationships, anything can happen… But what we feel for each other shouldn't be causing us this much stress. We can figure it out and not be idiots about it."

Maka blushed beet red and stammered – "I, er, I don't. It's just sexual tension Soul, that happens-"

"Mixed with a deep love, compassion and feelings that we have for each other?" Maka's heart jumped into her throat and she decided to deal with the projection instead of directly replying to Soul.

"I can't let my insecurities hurt someone I care about so much about. I won't let you have so much power over me anymore!" she shouted at the projection as her form started to fade. So much easier than dealing with Black Blood imps, that was for sure.

She turned to Soul and found him slowly fading. The room went to white and when vision returned to her, Maka found herself on her apartment floor, crushed into Soul's arms.

He adjusted her so she was lying on her side, his arm as a pillow for her as he rested his hand against her head. "Maka." He spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Soul, can we just sorta, figure this out slowly?" she practically squeaked. How long had they been lying on the floor? Her bones ached against the hard wood floor.

"Maka, we've been trying that. Just…" he trailed off before lowering himself to press his lips against hers. She stiffened, before allowing herself to relax. Tension broke, followed by a deep longing to continue. They broke apart and sat up, Soul staring at her keenly as she hid her eyes, staring down. "Just stop being dumb."

"I'm not!" she cried defiantly.

Soul rolled his red eyes. "Do you know how exhausting it is to love you? I feel like I've been chasing you around when you live with me! You know how many times I cursed Spirit for being such a shitty male role model? You know, I didn't plan this. I just woke up one day and realized when I became a Death Weapon all I wanted was you."

Maka bit her lip, brushing brightly at his frustrated confession. She imagined she wouldn't be easy, but that confession revealed to her how difficult she must be to deal with. He reached out and tapped a cold finger against her chin, encouraging her to look him in the eyes.

"I know how you feel… It's why I've missed resonating with you. When our hearts beat together we don't need words but when we can't, the connection slowly fades and when your lock your heart away in your walls like that… It's lonely. Don't do that to me. I may not be your partner now but…." He sighed heavily. "This is a lot of words for me. Do you get it, or do I have to get a book for you?"

-

So it's been awhile since I've written anything, let alone Fanfiction. But I've pretty much read everything that is Soul and Maka here and I felt the need to contribute something as I've gotten about two weeks worth of enjoyment out of the hard work of others.

There's a couple different "story types" for these two to get together so ya'll might see me do a version of each one, in my own weird way, for some effed up reason I CANNOT GET OUT OF MY HEAD that Stein influenced Maka's birth in –some-way.

Hope you guys enjoyed this I'm terrible at romance even though I READ IT THE MOST.


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